This blog has repeatedly indicated how the editor of the local Daily Newsletter for the Democrat Party, the Columbian better known as the Lazy C, appears to be mentally challenged with some sort of disorder causing him to pay undo attention to only a few elected officials in the weekly Press Talk editorials.

Wondering whether or not I might be a little off in my estimation, I went back and looked through the archived editorials. Below are listed, by title, of a list of weekly editorials penned by Lefty that are either about or make a derogatory mention of one of the so-called “M&M Boys” or State Senator Don Benton (R 17).

I’ll leave it to readers to determine if Lefty has gone overboard in his denigrations since January 2012 when the County Commission majority changed to a more conservative majority.

Okay, I get that all down at the Lazy C, Stephanie Rice and Lou Brancaccio especially, hate State Senator Don Benton (R 17) with a passion. We all get it and know they will stop at nothing to embarrass or demean the 5 times elected Senator. But this latest smear effort takes the cake.

As you all know, I have been subjected to a massive smear campaign of late because of exposing some underhanded tactics by the Clark County Republican Party. It backfired on them as a surprising number of people, young and old, Democrat and Republican even an Independent or two sent me messages of support, agreeing that what I exposed needed to be exposed.

It is widely believed that this current group of what I can only describe as “hotheads” was funded in their takeover of the CCGOP by current County Commissioner, David Madore, also owner of US Digital. Whether he has any direct involvement in this smear campaign, I really do not know, but he told me he does not and added he has no idea who they are.

Just a thought, nothing I have spoken to Sen. Benton about, but the thought crossed my mind of what if he included the newspaper litter tax in the list of options solely to get under Lefty Lou’s skin and see him ranting and raving endlessly, leaving him looking the fool?

Benton is no dummy, in spite of what people think of him and he has shown in the past his ability to rankle nerves while he sits back and laughs.

And let’s face it, everybody knows any such litter tax is DOA and even if passed in the legislature, would be quickly overturned in the courts.

The latest volley between the County Commission and the Lazy C sees a continuation in editor ‘Lefty’ Lou Brancaccio’s rather boring “lamentarsi” in promoting his dumbass coffee cup campaign.

For benefit of readers, lamentarsi is Italian for “complain, moan, howl, grieve, lament or whine.”

And that is all Lefty’s weekly Press Talk columns have been reduced to for some time now as he seems to be unaware of anything happening during the week except for whatever he can cherry pick from the County Commissioner Meeting to use in hopes of promoting that really dumb cup.

I can’t say it is unexpected, given strong citizen opposition and poor support in the Oregon legislature, but news is out that Oregon Governor Kitzhaber’s Sunday, March 9 deadline for funding an “Oregon Only” CRC plan to ram their financially failing light rail onto Clark County will see the demise of the project, again.

We heard this before, though. Just last year the Washington Senate failed to bring a funding measure to the floor, effectively ending Washington State’s involvement in the boondoggle.

But special interests hell bent on forcing light rail across the Columbia River, thereby enhancing their bank accounts, revived the project under an ill-advised “Oregon Only” plan, where the state of Oregon appeared to take on construction by themselves and funding to be placed on the backs of Clark County commuters with expensive tolling.

“America is a country of inventors, and the greatest of inventors are the newspaper men” –
Alexander Graham Bell

Words spoken long ago by Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the first practical telephone, but that continue to ring true as we still see newspapers, the medium we should be able to place the most trust in for accurate and objective news, manipulating public opinion to fit some agenda favored by publishers or special interest groups favored by editors.

Day to day reports of auto accidents, women’s clubs, crime or obituaries may remain objective, for the most part, but politically this medium comes down solid on the left, in spite of claims otherwise.

While not exactly the imaginary city of Mayberry, the city of Vancouver, Washington has long had a degree of rustic charm missing from the larger megalopolis south of the Columbia River, Portland, Oregon.

But, if city leaders, city government, Democrats, Developers and the city of Portland get to have their way, that rustic charm will be soon be buried deep under a Concrete Jungle built along the northern banks of the river and catered to by an eight-story monstrosity of a bridge built only to carry Portland’s light rail to Vancouver to ferry citizens, and their money, to Portland, leaving Vancouver with an ever dwindling revenue for her citizens.

This blog is just one that has written on the folly of the Columbia River Crossing light rail project over the years, but little has been said about another Portland envy dream of city leaders and developers, a Waterfront Project along the banks of the river that will offer high end shops, apartments and condominiums for the more wealthy, leaving the struggling middle class in Vancouver floundering and hoping to somehow gain employment as either housekeeping staff, wait staff or grounds keeper for those wealthy who would live there.

A common theme I am seeing in Democrat hopefuls for office this year is their claimed desire to tackle “dysfunction” in our political representation, ignoring that it has been their party as large contributors of “dysfunction.”

Of course, the intent is to claim that having any part of the government under a Republican majority and the rest a Democrat majority, as we see in Olympia and back in Washington D.C., makes it “dysfunctional” in such a way that Democrats are being blocked in what they wish to do.

I was preparing to do a post pointing out how it isn’t “dysfunctional” at all, but is what our founders intended, competing thoughts and ideologies coming together somewhere in middle ground to give the best compromises possible. Such a compromising attitude is what gave us our constitution after some real knock-down, drag out fighting.

I can’t help but begin feeling a little sorry for Ed Barnes, the grumpy former union thug/transportation advisory commissioner and outspoken critic seen before nearly every County Commission, RTC, C-Tran Board of Directors meeting and even before the Vancouver City Council, complaining about the naming of Don Benton to head the County Department of the Environment by Commissioners Madore & Mielke.

By my count, he’s complained close to 50 times now before the various groups, repeating himself, wagging his finger, issuing threats, denigrating all who see things differently and even declaring that neither Senator Benton or Senator Rivers should speak about the Bridge issue since neither are engineers, forgetting apparently that neither is he.

But his latest rant before the County Commission, January 28, 2014 is really a stretch, even for him.

Reading comments left on County Commissioner Steve Stuart’s announcement of not seeking re-election, you would be led to think somebody real important had died. The Lazy C and supporters of Stuart’s sound more like they are eulogizing than thanking Stuart for his years sitting on the council, furthering their views, even if against the views of a majority in the county.

Stuart was first appointed to the County Commission to replace liberal Democrat Craig Pridemore, who had been elected as State Senator for the 49th legislative district. Stuart joined a Democrat majority on the three member commission along with Betty Sue Morris and Republican Marc Boldt.

His 2010 re-election would have it appear that he would be lone Democrat sitting on the commission as Republican Tom Mielke had won a narrow victory over Democrat Pam Brokaw in 2008 and Republican Marc Boldt had won re-election against Democrat & Vancouver City Council Member Jeanne Harris, but as we all saw, Boldt “moderated” his views and became more aligned with liberal Democrats in his votes with Stuart, leading to his being sanctioned by the local Republican Party and in 2012, slaughtered in his bid for re-election, losing to first time runner David Madore.

Sen. Don Benton (R. 17) has introduced a new bill, SB 6125 designed to inhibit if not outright block the spurious deal between C-Tran and TriMet that allows TriMet to take Clark County property through eminent domain by C-Tran. Naturally, the CRC scammers are not pleased.

Below is video of the committee hearing the bill received Wednesday, January 22, 2014. Note C-Tran Director Jeff Hamm use of slippery language on C-Tran supports it, not mentioning he has yet to gain favorable citizen support. Also of note, Benton nails him on the time alleged to be saved crossing the river,

We all saw the bipartisan Senate Coalition Majority brought about last year and the predictions of it failing. Yet, it remains and appears like it will for some time.

At a recent function, the question was put forth on whether or not it was successful. Two opposing views were given, one by Republican Senator Don Benton, who played a large role in getting it off the ground and the other by far leftist Democrat Representative Jim Moeller.

Now that Lefty Lou Brancaccio, the ‘thugly’ editor of the Lazy C, hailing from the pit of ‘thugology,’ Chicago, has succeeded in his efforts to whip up the lynch mob hysteria against Sen. Don Benton (R. 17), it is easy to see that the mania he inspired is rapidly moving into full blown dementia in many of the most ardent Benton haters.

The mere mention of his name in the Lazy C quickly denigrates into insults and even fabrications of claims of what the man is doing.

Case in point is a brief spot that came out late on Dec. 23, 2013 on the Senator requesting an investigation of Planned Parenthood concerning allegations of fraud from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian advocacy group over past billing.

Apparently not content that the absolute lie created and perpetrated that much maligned County Commissioner David Madore was pulling strings in the last city election, Lazy C editor Lou Brancaccio now seems to feel the need to extend his demeaning verbiage to outgoing City Council member Jeanne E. Stewart in his latest screed.

Actually, “screed” might be too diplomatic, absolute piece of filthy garbage might be more accurate as his entire Saturday, November 23, 2013 editorial seems to be more an effort to rub Ms. Stewart’s nose in the mud over losing the election, after it was the Lazy C promoting the provable lie of Madore pulling strings.

Showing what a complete asshole he really is, Brancaccio uses his screed to boast of his confronting Ms. Stewart after the City Council meeting, since she did not provide words he apparently decided she must say during the meeting.

If Don Benton warning Ed Barnes of the potential of a lawsuit over his vitriolic outbursts is considered “doing stupid stuff,” then what is Ed Barnes threatening to sue every elected official that doesn’t abide by his desires?

Why is there no outcry over Ed Barnes threats like was whipped up over Benton’s?

Now that the thugmeister down at the Lazy C has the lemmings of Clark County looking for pitchforks and torches to march on the County Commission with their selective outrage about Lawsuits, it cannot be overlooked that back in June, it was Barnes threatening to sue the County, State and anybody else he might feel like.

Just like when mayor Leavitt threatened to take a citizens retirement away by lawsuit, the thugmeister remains silent.